Alterations and additions cover all structural and non-structural changes which are integral to the functional and structural design of a dwelling. Examples are garages, carports, pergolas, reroofing, recladding, etc. Alterations and additions do not include swimming pools, ongoing repairs, or maintenance and home improvements which do not involve building work.

Average loan

The Average Loan series is calculated as follows:

The Average Loan series does not necessarily represent the average loan size per dwelling. For instance, the average separately reflects first and second mortgages, committed in separate months, which apply to the same dwelling. For example, when a fixed rate and a variable rate loan are provided in separate months, two commitments are created for the same dwelling.

Commitment

A lending commitment is a firm offer of housing finance. It either has been, or is normally expected to be, accepted. Included are commitments to provide housing finance to employees and commitments accepted and cancelled in the same month.

Commitments not advanced

Commitments not advanced at the end of the month are calculated as follows:

Balance of unadvanced commitments at the end of the previous month

+ Total new housing commitments (including refinancing)

+ Alterations and additions

= Total commitments

- Cancellations of commitments

- Commitments advanced during the month

= Commitments not advanced at the end of the month

Commitment value

The commitment value for a contract of sale is the dwelling’s sale value less any deposit.

Construction of dwellings

Construction of dwellings represents commitments made to individuals to finance, by way of progress payments, the construction of owner occupied dwellings.

Dwelling

A dwelling is a single self-contained place of residence such as a detached or semidetached house, a terrace house, a flat, home unit, town house, etc.

Dwelling units

Dwelling units refer to the number of single self-contained residences for which commitments have been made, either on the security of first mortgage or on contract of sale.

Established dwelling

An established dwelling is one which has been completed for 12 months or more prior to the lodgement of a loan application, or which has been previously occupied.

First home buyers

First home buyers are persons entering the home ownership market for the first time.

Fixed loans

Generally involve:

a commitment for a fixed amount for a fixed period for a specific purpose

a schedule of repayments over a fixed period

repayments which reduce the liability of the borrower but do not act to make further finance available.

Fixed rate loan

Fixed rate loans have a set interest rate which cannot be varied, either upward or downward, for a minimum period of two years. Capped loans are not categorised as fixed rate loans because their interest rate can vary within a two year period.

Housing Loan Outstandings

The value of outstanding housing loans to Australian households as at a particular point in time (for statistics in this publication this refers to the end of the reference month). A loan is defined as an asset of a lending institution, which is not evidenced by the issuing of a security by the borrower.

New dwelling

A new dwelling is one that has been completed within 12 months of the lodgement of a loan application, and the borrower will be the first occupant.

Other lenders n.e.c.

Comprises all lenders that are not banks, permanent building societies, credit cooperatives or securitisation vehicles. Includes life or general insurance companies, superannuation funds, government housing schemes, housing cooperatives, registered financial corporations and other financial institutions.

Refinancing

For investment housing finance, it represents a commitment to refinance an existing loan. For secured housing finance for owner occupation, included are those loans where the refinancing lender is a different lender and the security is unchanged. The refinancing of a loan to fund a change of residence is treated as a new lending commitment.

Revolving credit

Generally has the following characteristics:

a commitment for a credit or borrowing limit is given for a specific period after which the commitment is reviewed

the extent of the borrowing used at any time during the period may be for any amount up to the authorised limit

repayments (other than of charges and interest) made during the period reduce the extent of the borrowing used and thereby increase the amount of unused credit available up to the authorised limit. Examples include credit cards, lines of credit and approved overdrafts.

Secured housing finance

This is all secured commitments to individuals for the construction or purchase of dwellings for owner occupation, regardless of type of security. Commitments for dwellings that will be occupied by persons other than the owner(s) are excluded.

Securitisation vehicle

Special purpose vehicles (generally trusts) that issue mortgage backed securities, which are debt securities secured by specific pools of mortgages and repaid from the cash flows (principal and interest payments) of the specific mortgage pool.

Self-contained

The dwelling includes bathing and cooking facilities.

Wholesale lenders

A wholesale lender provides funds to borrowers through a retail intermediary which may then also be responsible for the ongoing relationship with the borrower. The Wholesale Lenders n.e.c. series almost exclusively comprises securitisation vehicles (typically special purpose trusts) established to issue mortgage backed securities. It excludes funds provided where a bank or permanent building society, acting as a wholesale provider of funds, remains the lender on the contract. Those commitments are published as bank or permanent building society commitments.

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